Boltless rail-joint.



D. SCHNEIDER. BOLTLESS RAIL JOINT. APPLICATIONFILED JUNE 21. 1916.

Patented June 5, 1917.

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DANIEL SCHNEIDER, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 WILHELM HOEFFER AND ONE-FOURTH T0 WALLOOK ZARNEKEE, BOTH OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BOLTLESS RAIL-JOINT.

Patented June 5, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, county of Spokane, State of Washington, have invented new and useful Boltless Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in boltless rail joints and has for one of its objects to provide a device of the character described which shall eliminate the use of fish plates and bolts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a positive rail joint which shall eliminate the necessity of mutilating the rail or rail webs in order to lock the rails within the joint.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rail joint which is simple of construction and which may be quickly and easily set in position.

A further object is to provide a rail joint which will serve not only as a joint but will brace the rail head against both vertical and side thrust.

A further object is to provide a railjoint which shall consist of but few working parts which shall be positive in their locking action.

A still further object is to provide adjustable means for preventing the accidental unlocking of the rail joint.

Still further objects will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and description and more specifically pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing two rails locked in position by the joint of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my improved chair.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved locking member.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing one method of securing my rail oint in position on the rail ties.

Fig. 5 shows a modified method of securing the locking member of my joint in looking position.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 6.

15 which is provided with the enlargement 16 adapted to bear beneath the under face 17 of the rail heads 18 and also to bear against the upper portion of the rail web 19, as at 20. The edge 20' of one of the base flanges 12, bears against the juncture 21, of the supporting base 11 and brace 15.

Preferably constructed integral with the supporting base 11, is the member 22, which extends upwardly and inwardly at an acute angle with respect to the rail supporting base 11. It will be noted by reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 8, that member 22 is wedge shape, the end 23 being thinner than end 24, thus forming the tapered locking face 25.

My locking member isindicated generally at 26 and consists of a key which is of substantially constant width but tapered as to thickness as will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 8.

In assembling my joint, the rails 13 and 14 are first placed in the position shown in Fig. 1. The member 26 will then be introduced between the rails 13 and 14 and the member 22, the comparatively thin end 27 leading toward the left in Fig. l and the tapered face 28 of the member 26 co-acting directly with the tapered or wedge face 25 of member 22. Member 26 is then thrust in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 by any suitable leverage tooluntil the rails 13 and 14 are securely locked in position. The direct co-action of tapered faces 28 and 25 will firmly lock the rails 13 and 14 between points 20, 21, 22 and 23 and thus not only prevent the ends of the rails 13 and 14 from shifting vertically but also brace them to prevent side thrust. It will be seen that the co-acting faces 28 and 25 are of such a large area that the locking or wedging stress is widely distributed, thus lessening the chances of fracturing the rail chair.

The chair 10, may be held in position on the ties 29 by means of spikes 30, suitable notches 31 being provided in the chairs 10 to allow for the passage of such spikes 30.

I will now describe my improved means for preventing the locking member 26 from becoming loosened from locking engagement due to the vibration and jar caused by passing vehicles.

It will be noted that the locking member 26 is of suflicient length to extend beyond the end of rail chair 10 as at 32 even after member 26 has been firmly wedged in place. Where the width of the tie such as 33 will allow, a spike 34 may be driven into such tie 33 so as to engage the end 36 of the looking member 26, thus preventing the withdrawal of member 26 until such a time 'as spike 34 is removed.

I' have also shown a clamp means for retaining member 26 in locking relation with the rail chair 10. This method is best shown in 'F igs. 4 and 7. The hook members 37 and 38 are adapted to slide over base flanges 12 until hook 37 engages the end 36 of member 26. The depending lugs 39, which are made integral with hooks 37 and 38 are adjustably connected by bolt 40 so that by tightening nut 4-1, the lugs 39 may be drawn toward each other and hence cause the hook members 37 and 38 to bind on flanges 12 and set them in position thereon. Should any wear occur in the tapered faces 25 or 28 it will be seen that after such wear is taken up by forcing member 26 farther in the. direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 that the hook members 37 and 38 may be loosened, slid to the left until hook 37 once more engages end 36 and then be fixed in position by tightening nut 41.-

While I have shown and described a preferred embodimentof my invention I do not wish to be limited thereto, except for suchlimitations as the claims may import.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a track rail provided with a head and with base flanges, a rail chair provided with a rail supporting base,a rail brace integral with said chair, the upper portion of said brace bearing against the lower face of thehead of said rail and against the web of said rail, a looking member tapered only with respect to its thickness, the upper edge of said locking memberbeing adapted'to bear against the lower face of'the head of said rail, and the bottom edge of said locking member being adapted to bear only against the upper surface of one of the base flanges of said rail, a wedge'shap'e member extending upwardly andinwardly at an acute angle with said rail supporting base, the tapered face of said wedge member being adapted to directly co-act with said tapered locking member, said jdirectco-action serving to secure said rail directly between said rail brace and said tapered locking member, and means slidably mounted on the base flanges of said rail and adapted to retain said tapered looking member in looking position.

2. In combination with a track rail provided with a head and with base flanges, a

rail chair provided with a rail supporting.

base, a rail brace integral with said chair, the upper portion of said brace bearing against the lower face of the head of said rail and against the web of said rail, a looking member tapered only with respect to its thickness, the upper edge of said locking member being adapted to bear against the lower face of the head of said rail, and the bottom edge of said locking member being adapted to bear only against the upper surface of one of the base flanges of said rail, a wedge shape member extending upwardly and ii'iwardly at an acute angle with'said rail supporting base, the tapered face of said wedge member being adapted to directly co-act with said tapered locking member, said direct co-action serving to secure said rail directly between said rail brace and said tapered locking member, a clamp member slidably mounted on the base flanges of said rail and means to lock said clamp on said base flanges to retain said tapered looking member in looking position.

3. In combination with a track rail having a head and base flanges, a rail chair provided with a rail supporting base, a rail brace integral with said chair, the upper edge of said brace bearing against thelower face of the head of said rail and the edge of one of the flanges of said rail being adapted to bear against the juncture of said base and said brace, a locking member tapered with respect to its thickness only and of substantially constant width throughout its length, the upper edge of said locking member being adapted to bear againstthe lower face of the head of said rail and the bottom edge of said locking member being adapted to bear only against the upper surface of the other base flange of said rail, a wedge shape member extending upwardly and inwardly at an acute angle with said rail supporting base and integral withsaid rail chair, the tapered face of said wedge member being adapted to directly co-act with said tapered locking member, said direct co-action serving to securely wedge said rail between. said rail brace and said tapered locking member, a clamp member slidably mounted on the base flanges of said rail and means to lock said clamp on said base flanges to retain said tapered locking member in looking position.

4-. The combination with abutting track rails and a rail support-ing chair, of a key in flat-plate form of substantially uniform width throughout its length but tapering. in respect-to thickness, said key being adapted to be inserted in a slanting position on one side of said rails, with the outer face'of said key in direct contact with a corresponding sloping face of said supporting chair, so

that when said key is driven into place its tapering thickness causes said rails to be firmly wedged in said supporting chair and means slidably mounted on the base flanges of said rail and adapted to retain said tapered locking member in locking position.

5. The combination with abutting track rails and a rail supporting chair, of a key in fiat-plate form of substantially uniform Width throughout its length but tapering in respect to thickness, said key being adapted to be inserted in a slanting position on one side of said rails with its upper edge bearing in the corner formed at the juncture of the webs and heads of said rails, with the lower edge of said key bearing against the upper surface of the base flanges of said rails, and with the outer face of said key Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the in direct contact with a suitably formed face of said supporting chair so that when said key is driven into place its tapering thickness causes said rails to be firmly wedged between said supporting chair on the bottom and one side, and said key on the other side to brace the heads of said rails against lateral strain; and means slidably mounted on the base flanges of said rail and adapted to retain said tapered locking member in looking position.

In testimony whereof I herebyafiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DANIEL SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses H. E. SOANTLEBURY, H. O. SIMoNDs.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

